Comedy Finland is the premiere English Stand Up group in Finland and every two weeks we hold “Beer & Jokes”, our open mic at Molly Malone’s so that comedians can test their new material.

The BEST OF BEER & JOKES night is a showcase for the best new material our comedians have come up with in 2012 so far. This promises to be a fantastic night of the freshest new comedy!

MAY 3rd, 20:00

NOTE: THIS SHOW IS AT MANALA AND NOT AT MOLLY MALONE’S. Cause Manala is way nicer.

TICKETS: 10€/8€ at Tiketti or the door

Performers:

Ferrix Hovi (FIN)
Aatu Raitala (FIN)
Shaz Rahman (UK)
Aretta Vähälä (FIN)
Johanna Macdonald (CAN)
David Fagerudd (FIN)
Isak Rautio (FIN)
Nickolay Antonov (FIN/RUS)
Jonathan Bloom (FIN)
Eric Seufert (USA)

Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)

WHAT: English Night at Apollo Season Finale!
WHERE: Apollo Helsinki
WHEN: April 19th, 20:00
TICKETS: Lippu or Tiketti

Magnus Betnér (SWE)

Often compared to ‘Lenny Bruce & Bill Hicks’, Betnér is already a legend in his native Sweden and stands alone as a unique and incomparable Protagonist. Here is a comedian unafraid to deliver his views and opinions with razor sharp precision leaving no stone unturned. This is a dark hard hitting comedy maestro daring to go where other comedians fear to tread, delivering you truth, honesty but most of all accuracy on the most current and controversial of topics.

Betnér is the biggest name in Sweden, awarded the accolade of best comedian twice, in 2005 and more recently in 2010. So far he has produced 5 DVDs, hosts his own radio show and stared in one of Sweden’s most successful stand up shows entitled “In your face” where he’d openly perform to audiences that disliked him.

ALSO APPEARING

Ben Kersley (UK)

Ben Kersley, writer, comedian and bon vivant grew up in Birmingham, England, studied Drama at Bristol and struggled as an actor/comedian in London for many years. The highlight of his career in London was playing the part of The Honey Monster in commercials for Sugar Puffs (as well as playing a couple of other characters for The Jim Henson Company).

He has been doing comedy for a number of years including a short lived BBC Radio 4 series called ’2000 years of Radio’ and touring comedy with shows such as ‘A Stroke Of Midnight’ and ‘Dickie Banana’ – The story of a mass murdering Music Hall entertainer who maims and entertains his way to stardom. He has fallen over professionally as a window cleaner in the children’s show BRUM.

In 2006, Ben moved to Linköping in Sweden, where he began performing stand up in both English and Swedish. Since then, he has started a comedy club, brought over big names from the UK and toured with his own one man show.

Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)

Australian Louis Zezeran has lived in only 4 different countries, which makes him a disappointment by his countryman’s standards and he now uses the presence of “stand up comedy” to disguise his cultural insensitivity. While living in Finland, Louis secretly prays for another Russian invasion so in the ensuing peasant led revolt and anarchy he can claim to be a native Finn from 5 generations and get a citizenship. Alternatively in the more likely scenario that Russia invades Estonia, his plan would work equally well there. You choose Putin.

Fun fact not everyone knows about Louis, he has a degree in computer science but like the parents who treat you well and you still abandon, he is long gone and now performs and organizes English comedy shows across Scandinavia.

WHAT: Engliush Comedy Club
WHEN: April 5th, 20:00
WHERE: Manala
TICKET: Tiketti

APPEARING

Ahmed Berhan (SWE)

Ahmed Berhan is a 28 year old Stand Up Comedian who hails from Stockholm, Sweden. Ahmed put his university studies on hold to pursue stand-up comedy full time, appearing at the biggest clubs in Sweden and has made several appearances on Swedish TV. Ahmed performs in both Swedish and English and in 2009 went to the semifinals of a very prestigious competition in the UK with 600 other comedians. Ahmed relates to you stories about his life in Sweden and can speak about almost everything under the sun, he is happy as long as you leave with a large smile on your face.

Niels Forsberg (DK)

From Malmö Comedy Festival to Zulu Comedy Festival – Niels has been there.

Not a show that will change your political opinions. It wont solve the problems of the world. It is however guaranteed to make you laugh (especially if you, like Niels, are lacking a moral compass).

Now this handsome young comedian is ready to break out his award-winning english comedy show for the picky comedy fans of Comedy Finland.

ALSO APPEARING

Eric Seufert (USA)
Shaz Rahman (UK)
Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)

WHAT: English Comedy Night at Apollo Helsinki
WHEN: March 22nd, 20:00
WHERE: Apollo Live Club
TICKETS: 12€/15€ at Tikketi or Lippu

Special Guest: LASSE NILSEN (SWE)

Lasse began his career as a street artist at St: Germain des Pres and Centre George Pompidou in Paris. He ended up staying in the city of romance and studied mime performance for 5 years, a skill which Lasse then combined with Stand Up comedy to produce one of the funniest and most unique acts you have ever seen. His body control is so complete that the audience sometimes just sits and stares between laughter.

He mixes observational humor with absurd images of the world, its history and people who live here. He doesn’t hesitate to have a swipe at racists and bigoted thinking. After Lasse’s show your ideas will be broadened, your cheeks hurting from laughing so much and your brain full of hilarious comic pictures.

“Lasse Nilsen .. combined pantomime and stand-up so that the audience squirmed with laughter. Lasse Nilsen tore down the applause.” – Uppsala nya tidning

“Absolutely sensational …” – Norrbottenskuriren

“Impressive slow motion clips … brilliant facial expressions.” – Norrköpings tidning

ALSO APPEARING

Nick Sun (AUS)
Ali Jahagiri (FIN/IRAN)
Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)

Tickets are onsale now at the Estonian ticket site “Piletilevi” for only 25€! Hook that up with a ferry crossing and a hotel and you have great night away!

Premier show by Ismo Leikola. Refer to the event page on Facebook for instructions to purchase Tickets.

https://www.facebook.com/events/395640100450697/

Ismo is the number one Comedian at the moment. He will kickstart our new venue prior to his nation wide solo tour. The shows @Kino will mainly be in Finnish, including Ismo’s show.

WHAT: English Comedy Club Helsinki
WHERE: Manala
WHEN: March 8th 20:00
TICKETS: 10€/8€ Tiketti. OVER HALF HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD!

Special Guest: Ryan Withers (AUS)

Since starting stand-up in 2007, Ryan has performed at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals as well as the Edinburgh Fringe in 2011. At the Melbourne Festival in 2010, Ryan was nominated for the Best Newcomer award and Chortle said the show was “one of the most fun hours of the festival … an all-pervading sense of off-beat nonsense that proves charmingly irresistible.”

Ryan’s next Melbourne Festival Show in 2011 got another great Chortle review which said “a cult is surely slowly growing here; lovers of the weird should climb aboard.” Ryan was then named the number one ‘Top Ten Comic Stars Of Tomorrow’ by the Sydney Morning Herald. Since Edinburgh Fringe in August Ryan has been performing stand-up all over London and his Uncle Jimmy says he has “very nice hair.”

ALSO APPEARING

Eric Seufert (USA)
Sampo Luoto (FIN)
Joshua Steinberg (USA)
Isak Rautio (FIN)

Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)

Related show

• Artist: English Comedy Club Helsinki
• Date: Thursday, March 8th 2012
• Time: 8:00pm
• City: English Comedy Club Helsinki in Helsinki
• Venue: Manala
• Address: Museokatu 10
• Country: FI
• Admission: 10€/8€
• Notes:
  Headliner: Ryan Withers (AUS)
  
  Eric Seufert (USA)
  Sampo Luoto (FIN)
  Joshua Steinberg (USA)
  
  Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

WHAT: Apollo English Night
WHEN: Feb 16th, 20:00
WHERE: Apollo Helsinki
TICKETS: Lippu or Tiketti

Every day we see things we’ve never seen before, things that strike us as odd or beautiful, and things that we’ve seen so many times we don’t even notice them any more… Not Al Pitcher. His mind is constantly twisting, flipping and distorting what he sees, igniting the mundane, and weaving the events of his day in into a truly unique and hilarious one-off show.

Al has established himself with force few comedians can. His standup is witty, inclusive of everyone and kind. He uses the audience in a twisted and fun way, without being a bully like many other comedians.

Also appearing on the night, Finland’s own Tomi Walamies!

As always your host is Louis Zezeran (AUS)!

Related show

• Artist: Apollo Live Club, English Night
• Date: Thursday, February 16th 2012
• Time: 8:00pm
• City: Apollo Live Club, English Night in Helsinki
• Venue: Apollo
• Address: Mannerheimintie 16
• Country: FI
• Admission: 13€/16€
• Notes:
  Al Pitcher (NZ)
  Tomi Walamies (FIN)
  
  Host: Louis Zezeran (AUS)
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

The Kalevala (According To Scott Sandwich) from Tom Hogan on Vimeo.